Order of St. Gabriel Study Guide - Magdalene Circle

practice. Thus, first we will take up a continuum of prayer and meditation, seeking knowledge of thewill of God, and in preparation we will take up a continuum of self-purification, seeking to surrender tothe Spirit of God and to become open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit; coupled with self-purification,we will take up a continuum for the generation of merit, seeking to create auspicious circumstances totake up this practice. As this is done, we will study and contemplate the teachings and instructions thatare given on the main practice, and we will pray about them and meditate upon them, drawing outinsights into the deeper mysteries they contain. Then, if and when it is the will of Ha-Shem, and we arecalled to this Holy Continuum, having a strong heart connection to the Holy Dove, we will take up theContinuum of Union with Yonah the Baptizer.(Speaking of proper preparation before taking up new spiritual practices, the masters of the traditionhave said, “Good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end – Ki Tov!”)Another Partzuf Meditation for Union with John the Baptist is given on the main website that ismore appropriate for newcomers to the tradition.This reflects a significant difference between the Order of St. Gabriel and most of the other HolyOrders of the Sophian Gnostic lineage – most of the Orders have practices that are good for beginners,as well as those for intermediate and advanced practitioners, but the Order of St. Gabriel has virtuallyno practices for novices in the tradition, rather it is designed for skilled intermediate practitioners andadvanced practitioners.This is reflected in the teaching style used within the Order of St. Gabriel – it is distinctly a more radicalplay in the Way of Wild Gnosis or Crazy Wisdom, similar what we experience with the sharing of theinner teachings and practices of the Order of St. Uriel. Essentially, a holy tzaddik takes up the dance ofthe Shekinah with their spiritual companion, and along with the initial teachings and practices there issomething of an experiential transmission, an empowerment – beyond these initial teachings andinstructions, however, they will not give further teachings or entertain further discourse until theinitiate takes up the practice, as instructed, and something of a direct spiritual and mystical experienceunfolds with them. In other words, they will only share further teachings and instructions based uponthe experience and insights of the initiate.In this style, teachings and instructions are often given in a very poetic mystical language – a symboliclanguage that initiates are able to decipher through their knowledge of our Christian Kabbalah, andthrough prayer and meditation, unfolding many layers of deeper meaning. Thus, the insights of theinitiate, coupled with the experience that unfolds with them, allows the tzaddik to gauge what is goodto share – this, along with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, determines all spiritual transmission thatare imparted.This plays out in the inner branch of all of the Holy Orders in our lineage to various degrees, but it iscompletely pervasive in the Order of St. Gabriel, as the Way of Prophecy, like the more advancedteachings and practices in the Way of Wonderworking, requires a certain degree of maturity in the28